Buzz
Staying on top of the news is a challenge. So much so, we've made it simpler for you by curating the week's most important, bizarre, or simply jaw-dropping stories.
After a week marked by devastating violence in Charlottesville and Barcelona, this week felt remarkably more peaceful. However, while brutality was thankfully absent from the headlines, numerous significant events continued to unfold worldwide.
10. We Learned The Barcelona Attacks Could Have Been Much Worse
Last Thursday, a van raced down Barcelona's busy Las Ramblas, intentionally running over pedestrians. Later that evening, a car with five men wearing fake suicide vests rammed into people in Cambrils. By Friday morning, 15 lives were lost, and 130 others were injured.
It was only this week that we learned just how fortunate the world had been. If the Spanish terrorist group responsible for the attacks had been more skilled, the death toll would have been much higher.
Just a day before the Barcelona attack, a massive explosion tore apart a house in Alcanar. Initially thought to be a gas explosion, it wasn't until after the Las Ramblas events that investigators uncovered the house was actually a bomb factory.
The terrorists had successfully created functional bombs. They planned to wear suicide belts, transform vehicles into car bombs, and target key Catalan landmarks. Barcelona’s world-famous Sagrada Familia cathedral was on their list, with plans to destroy it, potentially killing hundreds.
Fortunately, destiny or God (or, ironically, Allah) stepped in. A mistake led to the accidental explosion of the bomb factory, killing two terrorists and forcing the survivors to improvise far less lethal vehicle attacks.
9. The Maldivian Military Seized Parliament
In its entire history, the small island nation of the Maldives in the Indian Ocean has only had one democratically elected leader. Mohamed Nasheed was elected in 2008 after the country transitioned to a multiparty democracy. He was ousted in 2012 in what he described as a coup.
His successor, Abdulla Yameen, assumed power in 2013 and immediately reverted the country to autocratic rule. He dismantled human rights, took control of the judiciary and media, suppressed opposition, and turned money laundering into a national pastime.
This week, he escalated matters further. When the opposition party attempted to hold an impeachment vote against the speaker of the House, a staunch ally of Yameen, the president called in the military. The Maldivian army took control of the parliament, preventing the vote from happening.
This isn't the first time Yameen has interfered with lawmakers' duties. Just last month, opposition MPs were barred from entering parliament to prevent a previous impeachment vote. However, this marks the first instance of the army deploying soldiers to halt lawmakers' actions under the threat of force. It may be a long time before democracy returns to the Maldives.
8. Two Legends of American and British Entertainment Passed Away
Although they came from vastly different backgrounds, there was an uncanny similarity between Jerry Lewis and Bruce Forsyth, both of whom tragically passed away this week (aged 91 and 89, respectively). Both were classic variety performers and comedians who later became film stars. Both made incredible contributions to charity work. And both endured mockery before being embraced late in life as beloved national figures in their respective countries.
Your familiarity with them likely depends on where you're from. Jerry Lewis was a ubiquitous figure on American television, appearing in telethons and films such as The Nutty Professor and Martin Scorsese’s The King of Comedy. (Lewis also starred in the infamous, never-released, “so-bad-it’s-good” film The Day the Clown Cried). Meanwhile, “Brucie” Forsyth ruled as Britain’s beloved king of light entertainment, effortlessly transitioning between game shows and reality TV.
Neither Lewis nor Forsyth earned much praise from critics, but both were adored by the masses and undeniably became icons. With their passing, television on both sides of the Atlantic feels just a little less vibrant.
7. The US Witnessed Its First Coast-to-Coast Total Eclipse in Nearly a Century
The last time the US saw a coast-to-coast Great American Solar Eclipse was in 1918. World War I was still raging, Woodrow Wilson was president, and the British Empire dominated much of the world. This week, America experienced another eclipse. Nearly a century after the skies unexpectedly darkened over Oregon, another full solar eclipse swept across the continental United States. The entire nation became captivated by the event.
If you were one of the 12.2 million fortunate enough to live in the path of totality (the area where the Moon completely covers the Sun), you probably spent a few unforgettable moments on Monday gazing up at the eerie halo in the sky. If you were one of the 200 million Americans within driving distance, you likely at least considered making the trip to witness it. For many, this was the only eclipse they would ever experience.
If you were unlucky enough to be stuck in an area that missed the eclipse, don’t worry. Another total eclipse is set to cross the USA on April 8, 2024. It will be fascinating to see if it garners the same level of attention.
6. Twin Stabbing Rampages Shocked Finland and Russia
In the wake of the Barcelona attacks, two other terrorist incidents went largely unnoticed amid the flood of news from Spain. On Friday, a Moroccan asylum seeker who had been denied asylum began stabbing women in the Finnish city of Turku. Two people were killed, and eight others were injured. The following day, an axe-and-knife assault in the Siberian city of Surgut left eight people wounded. Both attacks were later linked to ISIS.
Although the death and injury tolls were much smaller than those in Spain, the random stabbings deeply affected both countries. Finland, especially, had never before witnessed a murder or attack associated with Islamist extremism, and the tragedy in Turku was both unexpected and unsettling.
For Russia—already a target when ISIS bombed the St. Petersburg metro—the realization that terrorism could spread to a quiet place like Surgut was profoundly disturbing.
Both attacks stand as stark reminders that terrorism in Europe could worsen before it improves. With ISIS's caliphate collapsing, many of its fighters are returning to their home countries, bringing with them the intent and capabilities to cause significant destruction.
5. Angola Elected Its First New Leader in Almost 40 Years
Jose Eduardo dos Santos, the Angolan president, was among the longest-serving dictators around. Taking power in 1979, he weathered a devastating civil war lasting until 2002, navigated a massive oil boom and bust, and ran one of the most corrupt regimes in Africa (which is no small feat). This week, however, the unthinkable happened: Angolans voted for a new leader.
Though it would be nice to say that Joao Lourenco, the incoming Angolan president, was an unexpected challenger who triumphed over dos Santos, the reality is more predictable. In 2016, dos Santos announced his decision to retire following the 2017 election, and Lourenco was handpicked as his successor.
While the official results haven’t been released yet, Lourenco and his party have already declared victory, which is a standard move when you’re assuming control in an autocratic regime.
Despite his ties to dos Santos, observers are cautiously hopeful that Lourenco might at least make some progress in tackling corruption and addressing Angola’s dire poverty situation.
4. The Last American Defector to North Korea Has Passed Away
Watching the video of Ted and James Dresnok announcing the death of their father is an eerie experience. The two appear as typically American as apple pie... until you realize they are speaking Korean with distinct Northern accents and wearing the military uniforms of Kim Jong Un’s brutal regime.
Their father, James Joseph Dresnok, was one of only six Americans who defected to North Korea following the Korean War. By a twist of fate, he became the last one alive, outliving four of the others. (The fifth, Charles Robert Jenkins, defected back to the US in 2004 and is still living.)
This week, Dresnok’s two sons confirmed rumors that their father passed away from a stroke last November. Their announcement marked the end of the strange saga of America’s few postwar defectors to North Korea’s isolated regime.
Dresnok was a peculiar figure who seemed to take twisted pride in his life in Pyongyang and openly showed his allegiance to the Kim regime. After crossing the DMZ to avoid a court martial at the age of 21, he later claimed that he wouldn’t return even for a billion dollars. He certainly got his wish.
3. The US Increased Its Troop Presence in Afghanistan (Once Again)
On October 7, 2001, US forces launched an invasion of Afghanistan. The mission: to defeat the Taliban, eliminate Osama bin Laden, establish democracy, and eventually withdraw.
Fast-forward 16 years, and only one of those goals has been met. The Taliban remain a powerful force. Democracy is still far from being realized. US troops are still engaged in combat, with casualties mounting. This week, the White House decided to send more soldiers to the ungovernable nation. The longest war in US history seems to have no end in sight.
The announcement took many by surprise, considering President Trump’s earlier comments on the matter. The president admitted as much in his speech announcing the troop increase, explaining that it went against his instincts, but his military advisors had convinced him otherwise. As a result, 4,000 additional US soldiers will be deployed into Afghanistan’s ongoing civil war.
The troop surge comes at a critical moment. Afghanistan continues to be besieged by suicide bombings and attacks from both the Taliban and ISIS, while Al-Qaeda remains a persistent threat. It remains uncertain whether the deployment of more US troops will bring any positive changes.
2. India Braces for Potential Violence as Guru’s Rape Trial Verdict Nears
Ram Rahim Singh is one of India’s most powerful figures, though many may not know his name. A self-styled spiritual guru and leader of the Dera Sacha Sauda organization (which critics refer to as a cult), he claims to have up to 60 million followers and significant political influence in India.
Singh’s controversial past includes allegations of mass castrations of his followers, the murder of a journalist, and accusations of raping two female devotees. While the murder case is still under investigation, a decade-long rape trial will reach its conclusion this Friday. In anticipation of possible unrest, two states in India have been placed under lockdown.
More than 150,000 of Singh’s followers have gathered in court for the verdict, prompting the deployment of soldiers across Punjab and Haryana. Mobile networks have been shut down, public gatherings and firearms are temporarily banned, hospitals are on alert, and even a cricket stadium has been repurposed into an emergency prison.
If Singh is convicted, Friday could escalate into a day of violent unrest in these Indian states. For now, the nation anxiously waits and watches the situation unfold.
1. A Tanker Collision Leaves 10 US Sailors Dead or Missing
This marks the second fatal collision between a US Navy vessel and a tanker in a span of three months. On Monday, the USS John S. McCain crashed into a merchant ship off Singapore’s coast, severely damaging the ship's hull.
This incident follows the June 2017 crash of the USS Fitzgerald, which killed seven sailors. The aftermath of the McCain crash may prove even more devastating. As of the latest reports, one sailor is confirmed dead, while nine others remain unaccounted for.
This marks the fourth collision involving US Navy vessels within the past year, with the Fitzgerald crash being the only one to result in fatalities. In response, the US Navy called for a rare global “operational pause.” Meanwhile, military leaders scrambled to identify the root cause of these increasingly frequent incidents, as their ships collide like inebriated patrons in a busy bar.
The most obvious explanation might be that the Navy is stretched too thin. Ships are dispatched to monitor North Korea and China, combat ISIS, and maintain a presence in the Middle East, all while facing deep budget cuts that have slashed their operational funding. With resources spread so thin, perhaps tragic accidents are an unfortunate inevitability.
